Freeing her
by GraceKnight14
Summary: Robin cannot take it anymore. He sees her leave the bar with yet another man. He can't watch her destroy herself any longer. AU OutlawQueen
1. Chapter 1

2 a.m. – New York

Robin and his friends had been having a great night so far. Beer, music, laughter, he could not be more thankful for his little gang. That was until he saw her left the bar with that muscular dumb guy. Ruby, Will, John and Tink had been friends since High School, she had appeared in his life later.

Robin had met her in College, they were both English major and had several classes together. The first time Robin had laid eyes on her, he knew she was special. They were already in their senior year and Robin couldn't believe that he had never noticed her before. She was giving a presentation on the female characters in Jane Austen. She seemed confident, smart and passionate. One of the first things Robin noticed about her was her voice. She had a deep, dark and incredibly sexy voice. She was wearing glasses, looking at her notes from time to time.

And that was when he saw it – the ring. She was wearing a huge diamond ring that looked three times too large for her finger. So she was engaged… Not many students of his age were already thinking marriage. Robin certainly wasn't. He still wanted to experiment, learn more about himself before considering taking such an important decision.

She was almost finished now, starting the conclusion of her presentation. People were clapping and the Professor seemed very satisfied with her work.

"Robin! Robin?! Are you even listening?"

Robin turned on his left and looked at Ruby. He had been drifting away completely.

"Robin, are you there?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Well then, answer me. Do you know where Regina is?" She asked, a drink in her hand.

"She left." He said in an annoyed tone.

"Alone?" Completely oblivious to his anger.

"No…"

"With who then?" She said, almost screaming to be heard in the loud bar.

"Some random guy she doesn't even care about, Ruby! Like always!" he shouted, his temper getting the best of him.

"Oookay, no need to get mad. I was just asking. Regina is a free woman, she can do whatever the hell she wants Robin." She said, with a roll of her eyes.

"Not if it destroys her." He said, too low for Ruby to hear.

Ruby left him to go dance with Will and Tink who seemed very drunk by now, screaming their lungs out on some Kesha song.

The evening had been going so well. She was here with him, sitting close, laughing with the others. He was so happy to see her, to be able to touch her. She had let him hold her hand under the table, tuck her hair behind her hear. She looked happy, almost carefree.

He saw him first, that guy eyeing her from the bar. Robin hated the way he looked at her, as if she was some kind of prize. If that guy came over he knew what would happen. She would let him take her home, use her and then throw her out just so she could punish herself one more time and let her self-hatred take over. He had tried to stop her before, to put an end to that destructive vicious circle but she wouldn't let him help her. She would try to fool him into believing she liked these one-night stands, but he knew better.

So when that man moved to approach her, Robin immediately pulled her closer to him on the booth they were sharing. It was just the two of them at the table by now, the others were dancing and John was ordering them more drinks.

If looks could kill, that guy would probably be dead by now. Robin was on full "protector-mode" like Regina would say.

When the man finally made it to their table, he looked at Regina and spoke.

"Excuse me, do you dance?"

Regina, who had been completely oblivious to what was happening, lifted her gaze and saw the man for the first time. He was giving a hand to invite her to dance. When she finally realized what that man had said, she let go of Robin's hand under the table and took his which made Robin even more nervous.

"Of course" She said, with her most beautiful and teasing smile.

She got up from the booth and joined him where the other dancers were. He had his hand on the small of her back which made Robin boil inside.

They started dancing and after a couple of minutes, he pulled her by the hand so that she was flushed against his body.

That was the moment Robin looked away. It was happening again, and he couldn't stand to watch it, watch her.

Robin stood up and joined John at the bar, grabbing a beer and drinking half of it in a second.

"Wow, slow down buddy, everything alright?" John asked, looking at Robin surprised.

"Fine" Robin said under his breath. He glanced at Regina and that guy and saw him leaning down to kiss her. He looked away and stared down at his beer. John followed his friend's line of sight and saw them.

"I see", He said. "So she isn't as well as I thought she was. She looked almost happy tonight with us."

"She did… But you know Regina, she's an expert at wearing masks."

"I don't understand why she does it. She doesn't even seem to enjoy it. She could find herself a nice guy. She is free now…"

"No she isn't." Robin replied.

"What do you mean?" John said, looking back at his friend.

"She might not be married anymore, but she still isn't free from him." Robin said, taking a sip of his beer.

"You think this is what it is?"

"I know it is. And it kills me…"

John patted him on the back and went back to their table. Robin finished his beer slowly and missed the couple leaving the bar. When he noticed her absence it was already too late, she was gone. After yelling at Ruby for daring to ask him where she was, he left twenty dollars on the counter and got out of the bar. The cold air immediately froze him. It was almost April but winter was still very much present in New York.

Robin only lived about ten minutes from the bar, so he decided to walk home to clear his thoughts.

He had been walking for literally three minutes when he heard her.

"No, not here. Someone might see us" She said in a playful but slightly scared tone.

"Come one, I want you so bad. I can't wait any longer."

Robin looked on his left, searching for her in the dark of the narrow alley before him.

"No, please. I don't feel like it." She said, her voice so vulnerable.

Robin started to panic, he knew that voice, that child-like voice. She only had that voice when she was terrified. And there was only one thing that terrified Regina: losing control.

"Shhh, I know you want this. I promise I'll be quick."

Robin still couldn't see her. Suddenly the light of a car that was driving by lighted the whole alley. What he saw both terrified him and drove him mad to the point of madness. The man had her pinned against the wall, one hand holding her wrists above her head, the other quickly lifting her dress. He heard her silent cry muffled by his kiss.

Robin approached the man from behind silently. He was taller and stronger than him but motivation was everything and Robin had the strongest of all struggling right in front of him.

"You know what?" the man whispered, "the moment I saw you I knew you were the kind of girl I needed. The kind who likes it rough and quick. Don't you darling?"

Robin knew how much Regina hated that nickname, it reminded her of a past she would rather forget. He never used it with her.

When Robin was sure he was close enough, he grabbed the man by his shoulders and threw him on the floor. He kicked him in the stomach three, four times, unable to stop himself. The man cried out and spat blood on the hard concrete.

"Touch her again and I'll kill you." Robin said in a deep, angry voice that even he didn't recognize.

The man got up, holding his stomach with one hand and wiping blood from his mouth with the other. He looked like he was about to run and Robin wasn't sure if he wanted to let him.

That was when she called for him, in the most broken and vulnerable voice he had ever heard from her. He turned around and looked at her. She was a mess, her bottom lip was bleeding, her hair was all over the place, and her dress was still half up on one side. Her stockings were torn, probably because of the brick wall behind her, and her purse was on the floor. He made a move to approach her but the man, who had been silent for the last second, took the opportunity to punch Robin in the face.

Regina cried out in surprise and looked back at the man who seemed very proud of himself.

"How about that? How does it feel to be taken by surprise?"

Robin was blinded by pain and could barely stand. He had hit him right in the jaw and Robin could feel blood invading his mouth already. After a few seconds, he managed to recover and stood tall in front of the man. He knew he didn't stand a chance against that guy so he bluffed.

"I'd leave while I still can if I were you." Robin threatened.

The man laughed darkly and looked back at Regina. He put his shirt back in his pant and fixed his belt which was still half opened. Regina looked down, unable to hold his gaze. The signs of arousal were still very visible on the man which made Regina all the more uncomfortable.

"You know what… You're right. It's not worth it. Actually, she's not worth much. Just a whore I wanted to fuck. You should be glad that I wanted you" He spat at her in disgust, a cold grin on his face.

"One more word and I swear to God, your own mother won't recognize you."

The man chuckled and stared at Robin unimpressed.

"Yeah, right."

He looked one last time at Regina and left, disappearing in the crowd of New York.

"Regina", Robin whispered in the softest tone he could manage.

When she didn't respond, Robin walked towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. She immediately jerked away.

"Don't touch me", she screamed.

Robin tensed, even though he didn't except this reaction, he was not unfamiliar with it and he knew what he was about to face. A very distressed, confused and lost Regina.

"Regina, it's me. It's Robin." Robin tried but without touching her this time.

She remained silent for a moment.

"I would prefer if you stayed where you are… Don't… Don't get any closer please." She muttered.

"If that's what you want, that's what I'll do. I'll stay right here."

He tried to get her to look at him, without much success. She was trying to fix her dress and her hands were shaking terribly. And it made Robin sad, just sad for her.

It was starting to rain and Robin was starting to shiver from the cold. They should go now. He didn't want them to stay here for too long, it wasn't good for her. He needed to end her torment now and force her to come back to him.

"Regina, sweetheart, can I come closer?"

She was holding herself around the stomach, her back against the wall, her eyes far, far away.

"Regina can-"

"Robin" She interrupted.

Robin starred at her with wide eyes, prepared for the worst.

"Robin, I'm cold."

This was good, her noticing things like that. It meant she was still in there, aware of her surroundings at least.

"I know. Here, take my coat."

When she didn't protest, he wrapped his coat around her shoulders.

"Do you think…Do you think you could hold me for a little while?" She asked in her child-like voice.

Robin felt his heart shatter in a thousand pieces. He had heard that voice before and it broke him every single time. He knew that it was an honest question, not a request. The wonder in her voice overwhelmed him with sorrow. How could she think he would deny her?

"Of course, I will."

He put his hands on her arms first to check her reaction. When she didn't flinch, he brought her body against his own, her face pressed against his chest. Her arms remained motionless along her body.

They remained like this for a few minutes, just holding each other. But Robin felt her shaking badly against him. He needed to take her home. He had to get her out of here.

"Sweetheart, can we go home now?"

"I'm tired" She whispered against his chest.

"I know. Do you think you can walk for a few minutes?" He asked against her hair.

No answer came. Alright then, change of plan.

"Regina, do you think you could let me carry you. At least until I find us a cab?"

When he felt her nod against his chest, Robin immediately reacted before she changed her mind. He put one arm behind her shoulders and another under her knees. Robin probably wouldn't be able to carry her all the way to the apartment, he needed to find a cab and quick.

Her face was pressed against his chest, her eyes hidden by her hair. One of her hand was in her lap, the other holding his shirt tightly.

Robin walked all the way down the alley with Regina in his arms. It took him a minute or two to get a cab to stop and take them.

Regina was sitting on his lap, her face in the crook of his neck. She hadn't said a thing since they had left the alley. He didn't even know if she was awake or not.

The taxi driver was glancing at them every now and then in the rearview mirror.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

Robin put on his best smile which he knew made people comfortable and convinced them that everything was okay.

"Oh yeah, too many drinks I'm afraid."

The taxi driver seemed satisfied with that explanation and nodded.

When they finally made it home, Robin lifted Regina once more and struggled to open the door of his apartment which thank god was only on the first floor.

He headed towards the bedroom and once there, carefully laid Regina on his bed. She looked small and vulnerable on the large bed. Her legs were curled up against her and she moved to lay on her side. Robin gently stroked her cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He sat on the bed besides her.

When she finally opened her eyes, he gave her a soft smile.

"Hey" She whispered in a raspy voice.

"Hey"

For the first time since she had left the bar, she looked into his eyes. Tears started to appear and fell down her cheeks which Robin quickly wiped away.

"I hate him"

"I know, that bastard will never come near you again. I promise."

When she shook his head, he frowned.

"No, Robin. I hate _him_. I hate Leopold."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everyone. Thank you very much for the support. I am happy to see that you enjoyed the first chapter of Freeing her. Here's a new chapter. It's quite short but I'll post the third one later this week._

 _Bisous,_

 _GK_

"No, Robin. I hate him. I hate Leopold."

These were the last words she said that night. She quickly fell asleep after that which made Robin grateful. She needed to rest. The first rays of sun were starting to appear in the room, lighting Regina's face softly. She looked agitated in her sleep, probably stuck in the middle of a nightmare. Robin softly traced the lines of her face with his thumb. She was safe now, laying on his chest.

How he regretted not saving her all those years. He should have punched Leopold in the face, made him bleed until he begged for mercy. He should have gone to her house and taken her away like he did tonight. Only he didn't. Instead, he had just stayed put and watched.

Looking at her distressed state right now, he couldn't help but remember the first time he had talked to her. She had looked so beautiful and confident and yet even then he knew she was hiding something, a secret, a wound that she refused to show to the world.

He had approached her after the end of one of their classes. The first time he had heard her voice. She was walking so fast in the corridor that he had had to run to catch up with her.

"Nice job out there"

Regina looked up and gave him the smallest of smiles. She seemed proud and embarrassed at the same time.

"Thank you Robin." She said in a confident tone.

Robin's eyebrows raised ridiculously high.

"Oh, I didn't think you knew my name." Robin said, smirking.

"Who doesn't? I've been told to stay away from you, you know." She added with a playful smile.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. I've heard you like women a little too much."

"Does milady feel threatened?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, his dimples showing.

"Not in the slightest." She answered.

"No need to be worried then."

They reached the door of the building and just when Regina was about to open it, Robin stopped her. She froze immediately and stared with wide eyes at the handle. Robin had his hand on top of hers and didn't let go until she looked at him.

"Regina?"

She quickly freed herself from his touch and stared at him.

"What do you want?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to have coffee with me."

Regina started to play nervously with the book in her hand.

"I'm not sure if I should." She said softly with scared eyes.

"Why not? Afraid your fiancé will get jealous?" He said with a light chuckle.

"How did you know-"

"I saw the ring. That's a quite a rock you have on your finger, difficult to miss." He said pointing at her left hand.

She quickly folded her arms, holding her book close to her chest and effectively hiding her hand.

"Yeah, that was the idea I think… To make everyone see it."

"Well, can you blame the man? You are a very beautiful woman. Wouldn't want someone to try to take you away now, would we?" He said, winking at her.

She smiled though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I guess… Lucky me."

Robin paused for a few seconds, a little taken back by her answer. There was something there, he knew it but he couldn't quite decipher what it was.

"So, coffee?"

She looked at her watch this time, clearly agitated.

"I don't know. They are probably waiting for me."

"Who?"

"My fiancé and my mother."

"Oh, so you don't live on campus then?"

"No, I live with them. And my father." Robin couldn't help but notice the sadness that suddenly appeared on her face. She was gorgeous he thought. Red lips that begged to be kissed, dark hair in which he desperately wanted to run his fingers, and that body… She seemed thin from the distance but now that he was barely inches from her he could see the terribly tempting curves that shaped her body. He had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. Marian, his first girlfriend, had been beautiful of course, but the innocent and young kind of beautiful. Regina was like a forbidden creature, one that you knew would burn you if you were to hold it too close.

When she didn't speak, Robin decided to try again.

"Look, I don't want to force you into anything but I'd be happy to get to know you a little more Miss Regina Mills."

She waited, hesitance written all over her face but after a few seconds of staring unashamedly at his face, something shifted in her expression. She seemed reassured and determined at the same time. A fire that Robin had only suspected existed in her appeared in her eyes. A large smile suddenly illuminated her face, one that showed all of her white teeth.

"You know what? Yes… Yes I'll have coffee with you Robin."

Robin answered her with a big smile of his own. He had honestly thought she would refuse for a moment here.

So here they were, outside in the sun, chatting and laughing together at the terrace of a small coffee on campus. Robin could barely hold his side of the conversation. He was completely overwhelmed by this smart, funny and beautiful young woman. He could have just stared at her for hours on end and be happy. Her expressions were so complex that he had a hard time reading them sometimes. Underneath that seriousness and confidence seemed to be hidden a bright and passionate girl.

They talked about literature… They both loved Austen and Hawthorne. He told her about his dream of traveling the world. He wanted to see Saint-Petersburg, Paris, Tokyo and she wanted to see nature. He discovered that she loved nature, from the ocean to the forest, she loved it all. Robin felt hope blossom inside him again.

But this ring… It was the proof that she was already in love, already taken.

Suddenly, he was interrupted in his thoughts. She jumped in her seat at the call of her name, spilling a bit of her coffee onto the table.

When her name was heard a second time, she closed her eyes, still refusing to turn around. She was clutching her cup so hard that her knuckles had turned white. Robin looked over her shoulder and saw a man quickly walking towards their table. He seemed to be around his fifties. He was wearing what looked to be a very expensive suit. His face was twisted with anger. Robin looked at Regina again whose face was consumed by fear.

"Regina, who is that man?" He whispered, leaning towards her slightly.

"That's my… fiancé."

When the man reached the table, he put his hand on Regina's shoulder and squeezed hard, too hard to Robin's liking.

"Regina, darling, what are you doing?" The way he said _darling_ made Robin shiver. Something was off, he could feel it. Regina was frozen, she seemed at lost for words.

"We are working on a project together… For our british literature class." Robin lied, giving Regina's fiancé a polite smile.

Regina looked back at Robin with wide eyes and smiled softly. Her expression betrayed so much relief. Her fear terrified Robin, why was she so afraid of that man. She was supposed to love him and not fear him. Maybe he really was the jealous kind.

"Yes well, I've been waiting for you. Come." The man said with a forced smile.

Robin could hear the order behind the pretended affectionate tone. Regina got up and looked apologetically at Robin. She seemed calm but Robin could see behind her façade. Underneath those layers of false composure and confidence was a terrified young woman, one that was begging him not to let her go. Her eyes screamed at him, begged him to save her and to take her far away.

But instead of running and never looking back Robin got up from his chair, extended a hand towards the other man and smiled.

"Robin Locksley, nice to meet you."

"Leopold. Leopold Blanchard."

And with that both Regina and Leopold turned around and started walking away. Leopold wrapped his arm around Regina's waist in a possessive gesture and all she could do was hold onto her purse for dear life.

And today, here they were. Regina in his arms, holding onto him for dear life. She was shaking a little, sweat on her forehead. Her fist had closed around his tee-shirt. Robin started tracing patterns against her back, trying to soothe her.

After a couple of minutes of gentle words whispered in her ear, Regina's eyes opened. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light. Her hand let go of his tee-shirt and instead her arm circled his torso. Robin stroked her hair and tried to get her to look at him.

"Sweetheart, are you awake?" He said softly.

"Yes" She whispered but didn't move from her position.

"We are at my place remember?"

"Yes I know. I can see" She said with a light chuckle.

"Do you remember why?" Robin asked in the gentlest tone he could manage.

She visibly tensed in his arms, nuzzling her nose against his neck.

"I… I do." She whispered in a weak voice. "Can we _not_ talk about it, please?"

"I think we have to." He answered, tucking her chin up to get her to look at him.

"I can't… Please don't make me" Here it was, the child voice again. Why did she have to use that voice? Every time Robin heard it, it broke his heart all over again.

"Regina, you know how much I care for you?" She nodded softly. "And you know that I would never ever do anything to hurt you." He looked deep into her eyes, proving his point.

"Yes"

"Then tell me sweetheart, please tell me. Why do you keep doing this? Putting yourself through this? This time I was there, we were lucky. But I'm pretty sure that you faced these situations before and what did you do then? You took it, you let those men hurt you again." His face was contorted in anger and pain for her. He had raised his voice a little towards the end and he could see her flinch and close herself up to him.

"Please don't be mad. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please forgive me." She said, crying. Robin sat up and put her on his lap, holding her close. Her body was shaking with her sobs. Robin hated to see her cry but he had to do this. He couldn't be weak anymore. He would save her this time, he would never let her down again.

"I'm not mad. And there's nothing to be forgiven. I want you to be happy Regina and I refuse to watch you destroy yourself anymore." He said softly, stroking her back, careful not to raise his voice. Regina had been yelled at too many times.

"I can't help it Robin. I don't know why I do it." She paused, catching her breath and trying to stop her sobs.

"I feel like I deserve it. I feel like this is where I belong. I feel like no man could ever look at me differently."

"What do you mean? How do you think they see you?"

"They see me for who I am. An attractive woman, that's all. Someone who is not worth loving."

"Oh sweetheart. I can't let you believe that. You are so much more than a pretty face."

Robin took her face in his hands.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully. You are the smartest, funniest and sweetest person I have ever met. Leopold was wrong. I know he hurt you in some many ways. But he was a monster. _I_ know who you are and no one should ever be treated this way, especially someone as beautiful as you."

She nodded but she still seemed doubtful.

"Here's what we're going to do. Every time you feel like you are about to slip, you call me and no matter where I am and what I'm doing, I'll come for you. Okay?"

Her eyes filled with tears and she threw herself at him, circling his neck with her arms tightly.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." She muttered.

"I can still feel his hands on me. His fingers on my thigh, his hand holding my wrists. I felt so scared, so desperate." She said after a moment in a low voice.

"It wasn't your fault. You know that right?"

"Robin, _I_ seduced him. _I_ provoked him." She said, almost yelling, her voice breaking.

"Is this you talking or Leopold?" He said softly, keeping his calm, trying to stabilize her.

"I…Robin, I don't know anymore. Everything is so confused. What am I gonna do?" Her eyes feeling with tears once again.

"You are going to listen to me and not him. You are going to tell that voice inside of your head to leave you alone."

"I don't even know what's true anymore." She said.

"I know, and that is what I'm here for. Lean on me until the light gets back in."

She sighed, the weight of the world on her small shoulders. He wiped away her tears, and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Now, how about some breakfast?" He said, smiling.

"Okay" She said, with a small smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Robin was working on breakfast when he heard a knock on the door. He glanced at Regina who was still sprawled on his bed, an arm laying on the pillow above her head, looking at him gently with tired eyes.

Robin checked the time on the clock of the microwave – 9:30. Who could possibly be at his door so soon on a Saturday morning? He turned off the stove and wiped his hands with a dishcloth.

Suddenly it hit him – Roland. He wasn't supposed to be with him this week-end but Marian had to work… _Shit!_ With one last smile towards Regina, He let go of the knife and the half-cut apple in his hand and ran to the door. He opened it quickly and was faced with what seemed to be an impatient Marian and a tired little Roland. He was rubbing his eyes and yawning heavily in a very dramatic way. Marian was holding his hand and looked surprised.

"Um… Robin… How about a shirt next time?" She said.

Robin, still stunned by her presence, remained quiet. Marian gestured towards his torso. Robin followed her gaze to see that he was indeed half-naked in front of his ex-wife.

Robin looked down and realized that his torso was indeed shirtless, he was only in his sweatpants.

"Right… Sorry I had completely forgotten about the arrangement for today. You kind of took me by surprise." He said.

"It's fine. Nothing I haven't seen before." She said with a playful smile and a raised eyebrow. Robin hated when she did that. He never knew what to think. She sounded like she was flirting. Deep down, Robin knew Marian had never truly accepted their separation and that she still hoped that he would come back eventually. But for Robin, things were different.

Robin prayed with his entire being that Regina wouldn't move a finger and remain where she was. He didn't feel like fighting and explaining himself this morning. Unfortunately, fate wasn't on his side. He could hear Regina getting up and walking towards the door. _Please don't come here, please, please, please! This was one of the moments where Robin hated living in a loft._

Robin smiled softly, trying to figure out what to say or do when his trail of thought was interrupted abruptly. He had just heard _her_ voice, calling for him – Regina. Marian's expression immediately shifted, gone was the teasing smile, everything about her was now screaming one thing: anger. Marian had never liked Regina, she had always seen her as an obstacle between her and Robin and of course, she had been right, Robin thought. Regina was special to Robin in a way that Marian had never been. He had loved Marian, truly and fully, but Regina was his person. She was _his_ and deep down Robin knew he was hers too.

"Is it her? Did she spend the night?" That way she said _her_ , full of venom and hatred made Robin uneasy. Marian turned into a whole other person when it came to Regina. She became intolerant and jealous.

"Yes, Regina is here." He said in a soft voice, trying to keep her calm. He didn't want to fight with Regina here.

"I see. And what about Roland? I don't want him to see her." She said, her whole face contorting, her jaw tightening.

"Marian, Regina is part of my life, you know that, and it's never going to change. You're being ridiculous, you know Roland adores her."

Her mouth opened in shock and anger. Robin knew he had made a mistake.

"Oh, I am being ridiculous?! When you're the one who allows the woman who destroyed our marriage to spend time with our son, to spend the night at your apartment! Of course Roland loves her, she's the most manipulative person I know." She screamed.

Roland's little chin was starting to shake and his eyes to water. Robin could see Regina walking towards him, she was only in his shirt, her legs bare. Robin sighed.

"Marian, this isn't going anywhere. We're scaring Roland."

Robin could see the rage in her eyes. This wasn't good.

When Regina finally appeared at the door, Roland seemed to find his voice.

"Ginaaaaaa! You're here! I didn't know you would be here!" He said in a sweet, excited voice. He let go of Marian's hand and jumped in Regina's arms. She lifted him from the ground and put him on her hip in a practiced move.

"Hello baby. I'm very happy to see you too" She answered in a soft voice, one that she only used with the little boy. He had the ability to reveal a part of her that even Robin rarely saw. Around Roland, gone was the self-destructive woman, the lost-woman. Her entire soul seemed to be appeased and brought back to life. None only did she seem to get back some self-respect and love but she also was able to take care of another human being.

"Put him down this instant. I don't want you around him. You're toxic." Marian said, her voice having dropped an octave.

"Marian…" Robin sighed. "Regina, get back inside with Roland please. I need to talk to Marian."

Regina hesitated, holding Roland close to herself, his face nuzzled in the crook of her neck. She looked back and forth between Robin and Marian trying to figure out what do with herself.

"Regina, please, do as I say sweetheart." Robin gave her a gentle smile and she nodded shyly, avoiding Marian's gaze at all cost.

She closed the door behind her and walked to the couch, positioning Roland on her lap. He looked up at her, sucking on his little thumb.

"What are we going to do today?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't know, what would you like to do?" She asked back softly.

"I wanna go to the park with you and Papa and you can push me on the swings, and then we could have ice creams, and watch Nemo." He said in one breath, his excitement too strong to contain.

"That sounds like a great plan. I would love to do that, we'll have to ask your Papa though."

She smiled at him and kissed the top of his curly brown head. He leaned against her and yawned before putting back his thumb and his mouth.

 _"_ _Now, I see why you forgot about us. She was the one keeping you busy, wasn't she? Was it good? I suppose it was, I mean, that's how she got you wrapped around her little finger."_

 _"_ _Marian, enough. When is this going to stop?! She is part of my life, she is my friend, nothing more. You know that!"_

 _"_ _Are you seriously trying to make me believe that you would leave your wife and your son for a friend? Please, I'm not a fool Robin."_

 _"_ _What is this about? Are you jealous of Regina? She is not the reason we didn't work out."_

 _"_ _Of course she is! It's always been her, Robin. She was always between us. You never gave us a real chance."_

 _"_ _I loved you with all my heart you know that. You and Roland were the most precious things I had in my life."_

 _"_ _But we're not anymore – she is."_

 _"_ _Roland will always be the most important person in my life."_

 _"_ _But not me."_

 _"_ _Look, Marian. We divorced a year ago, don't you think it's time to let go?"_

 _"_ _Easy for you to say. You're not the one watching the woman who took away your husband play mother to your own son."_

 _"_ _She didn't take me away Marian. I decided to leave, she even tried to convince me to stay, for Roland. She's good to him, you know that."_

 _"_ _This is useless. You've never seen her for who she truly is. And that's not about to change this morning…. I'll pick up Roland tomorrow at eight. Try to remember it this time."_

Regina heard Marian leave and after a few seconds Robin opened the door. She was sitting on the floor, pretending to play with Roland and his toys.

Robin sat behind Roland and gave him a kiss on the head, whispering a "how are you buddy" but still watching Regina closely. Her eyes were watering, and her cheeks were red.

"Roland, is it okay if we leave you to play with your toys while we go have breakfast in the kitchen?"

Roland nodded distractedly, already lost in his game.

Robin got up from the carpet and took Regina's hand. They sat at the kitchen counter and Regina remained deadly quiet, still looking at the ground.

"Regina sweetheart, look at me please. I hate to see you like this. What is it?"

He squeezed her hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. When she finally looked up, tears were running down her cheeks freely.

"Is it true? Did you leave your family for me?" She whispered in a broken and fragile voice.

Robin sighed, the weight of the world suddenly on his shoulders.

"You heard us."

"Thin walls…"

"Did Roland heard?"

"I don't think so, I distracted him." She was looking at him in the eyes, her full attention on him, waiting impatiently for his answer.

"Good." How he wished she hadn't heard them. How was he going to answer her without scaring her or lying to her? Because the truth was, he _had_ left his family for her, because despite how much he had loved Marian, Regina was always in his thoughts, in his heart. Sometimes he wasn't even sure of the nature of his love for her, was it romantic love? A deep and strong affection and a will to protect her? Maybe it was all of them. But when he had realized on a cold December night - which Robin would rather forget – that Regina would always be his priority, that he would always put her first, even before his own wife, he had known then that he couldn't be with Marian anymore. It wasn't fair for any of them.

"I… It's complicated."

Regina inhaled sharply and retrieved her hand.

"Robin, you promised me. You said it wasn't because of me, that it had nothing to do with us."

Robin chuckled lightly.

"What's so funny?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"You said it yourself. "It had nothing to do with _us."_ Regina, there's always been an _us_ , and there will always be an _us_."

She shook her head violently.

"So? We've always been very close friends, I don't see why that should keep you away from your family. I never wanted that, you know it."

Robin brought his hand to her cheek and stroked it with his thumb lightly.

"Regina, we're so much more than friends. What we have is so much stronger than just friendship…"

She leaned against the affectionate touch but looked down, unable to hold his gaze.

"I don't know what you want for me…" She whispered. "I can't give you _that._ You know it. I can't take the chance to-to l-loose you Robin" She continued, half sobbing.

Robin brought her to his chest and hold her close. She immediately encircled his neck in a tight hold. He rubbed her back soothingly and whispered in her ear.

"I am not asking for anything sweetheart. You should know that by now. I would never force you into something you don't want. _You_ are enough. You will always be enough for me."

She cried softly against his warm chest. She was so tired of crying in front of him, of being broken in front of him. But it seemed that she couldn't bring herself to stop. He could always see right through her. He knew her weaknesses and never let her hide her pain or put on that mask of confidence and fake calm that she was so used to now.

"We should go back to Roland. He shouldn't be alone too long. Who knows what he might be up too." She muttered.

He chuckled and stroked her hair a few times before letting go of her. He took her face between his hands and looked her in the eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked.

"I'm okay. Just, warn me next time Marian shows up. I won't move a finger."

He smiled at her warmly.

"I will"

She stroked the back of one of the hands still holding her face with her thumb.

"And Robin…"

"Yes?"

"Promise me you'll always be with me."

He smiled softly at her request.

"Do you really need to ask? After all this time?"

"Please…"

Robin frowned at that. This word didn't come easy for Regina. The proud woman he knew rarely asked for anything, let along begged for it.

"Of course" He said, kissing her forehead. "I promise."


End file.
